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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mug — a face
  9. stock — shares
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stock — goods
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fine — high quality
  16. content — the amount
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fine — all right
  23. content — happy
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com